IT'S LAMP RUBBING : CARPETS FLYING : GENIES THREATENING AND VILLAINS PLOTTING WITH A CAST THAT'S MAGIC IN OL' DOWN-TOWN BAGDAD-VILLE !
Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just rolled out the global debut on Blu-ray of the 1979 movie, 'Arabian Adventure' : this film was previously only available in the U.K. as a dire DVD video transfer released in 2007. Kino Lorber's new blu-ray, licensed from Studio Canal, is good news and especially welcomed by collectors of the genre and Cushing / Lee fans alike. With FOUR MILLION budget, that was never going to stretch to the needs, Alan Hume's cinematography is never less than beautiful to look at, as you would expect!
VISUALLY MANY OF THE SCENES look great, very colourful, bright and quite new, even though the advance and progress in cinema visual effects does date some of what may have already been 'from another era' even at the time of its release, you aren't fooled by what you see. Special effects chief, George Gibbs, gives you a lot to look at and knows the market had changed, but cuts the cloth with what he has. Back in the day of Saturday family and kids matinees, that really didn't matter. 'There is something of a charm to watching some effects here that really do go back to the art of silent movies, smoke mirrors, forced perspectives and strings!' You don't feel cheated, you get the feeling of 'you along with the characters, are along for the ride, on those magic carpets and all' 😉😊
PRODUCTION DESIGNER, Elliot Scott dressers the film beautifully and uses lots of tricks and techniques he would later go on to use in classics like 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1988), Labyrinth (1986) and two of the Indiana movies, 'Tempe of Doom' and 'Last Crusade' (84 and 89), but with more than the share he got from this four million budget. It is perhaps worth mentioning and keeping in mind that much like Connor's Amicus film 'At The Earth's Core' and some of his 'Edgar Rice Burroughs' films, 'The Land That Time Forgot' (1975) 'The People That Time Forgot' (1977)... THIS is for the KIDS and there is much in the style and look of this film that reminds one of 'Jabberwocky' (1977) and 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' (1988)... but made with pennies rather than mega-bucks!
EVEN THOUGH this was post 1977 'Star Wars', it was I am sure, when produced neither chasing that newly hatched sci-fi audience or hoping to compete. Maybe the producers should have told the publicity and press office that point though . .
VISUALLY:
THE WHOLE FILM has been opened up to 1.78:1 from its native 1.85:1. Many of the street scenes and in the market really do shine, so much so there is a little sign of bits and dots in the motion, but not distracting. Scenes shot in a semi light in caves and at night, fare much better, as the texture and grain of the visuals can be a little different scene to scene. As I mentioned about this film using traditional cinematic visual effects, the use of matts. Very much like the blu rays of Cushing's 'Dr Who and the Daleks' (1965) and sequel 'Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD' strings are visible and matts that would have passed in the theatrical release don't hold out in their blending with live footage, once cleaned and presented on what can be at times a double edge and 'reveal all' of blu ray presentation.
AUDIO:
Kino supplies a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono (1557 kbps, 16-bit) as THE sound track, without frills. The pitch levels do vary from one scene to another. If you too are a headphone wearer, you will notice. Mixing seems to have been a problem, any scene with dialogue and background crowds, sees that dialogue buried. Composer Ken Thorne's quite fab score
is a great accompaniment to the action scenes, and while it's there everything sounds impressive.
- A NEW Audio Commentary by Director Kevin Connor, Moderated by Screenwriter and Novelist C. Courtney Joyner - If there is one thing you can say about director's Kevin Connor's pride in this film, is his comments on the design and look of the film. I get the feeling that Joyner maybe hasn't sat and watched the film in sometime. Many of his questions, give Connor little to work with in his answers, which is a real shame. For an 82 year old Connor is still very sharp, but the questions sometimes leaves him sounding as if he doesn't know the answer or can't remember! Experience should have told Joyner, you need to prompt and connect with your subject, it's been a LONG time!
- Theatrical Trailer (2:54, 480i) - Not restored, but a window-boxed and slightly cropped original trailer for EMI's Arabian Adventure.
SO TO SUM UP:
IF YOU SAW THIS FILM when it was first released, like all of Connor's similar films, it can only bring back memories of simpler times. It should also bring with it some warm smiles when cast members like Christopher Lee, Milo O'Shea, Milton Reid and Peter Cushing appear. Emma Samms and Oliver Tobias
are a good match and a young and talented Puneet Sira, is very entertaining and unknowingly well set for his future as a major Bollywood director in the years to come.
MICKEY ROONEY still stands as a bit of surprise casting! As a family adventure film, this one has ALL the ingredients, severed up as the complete package of a great and sparky adventure tale, produced ten years before this one was made. Now decades later, there is no shame in that. This is an above average transfer, even if in it's audio it would have benefited a little more care. A negative mind you, that will go quite unnoticed by the majority of those who have come along for the ride... on a carpet of course!
IF YOU SAW THIS FILM when it was first released, like all of Connor's similar films, it can only bring back memories of simpler times. It should also bring with it some warm smiles when cast members like Christopher Lee, Milo O'Shea, Milton Reid and Peter Cushing appear. Emma Samms and Oliver Tobias
are a good match and a young and talented Puneet Sira, is very entertaining and unknowingly well set for his future as a major Bollywood director in the years to come.
MICKEY ROONEY still stands as a bit of surprise casting! As a family adventure film, this one has ALL the ingredients, severed up as the complete package of a great and sparky adventure tale, produced ten years before this one was made. Now decades later, there is no shame in that. This is an above average transfer, even if in it's audio it would have benefited a little more care. A negative mind you, that will go quite unnoticed by the majority of those who have come along for the ride... on a carpet of course!
